


waiting for love

by coeurvolant



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-26 21:04:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20396128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coeurvolant/pseuds/coeurvolant
Summary: Monday left Byleth broken,Tuesday she was through with hoping,Wednesday her empty arms were open,Thursday waiting for love that never came.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Crimson Flower route based on my personal gameplay with added headcanons and stuff...minor ships here and there. I'm trying something new with the formatting so plot jumps around a bit! Story starts after time skip

_Marianne._

  
Bright teal eyes flew open as a lone figure lifted herself from an unfamiliar bed, surveying her dark surroundings fastidiously as she walked to the far side of the room, placing her ear gently against the cold wall. Silence.

  
Byleth didn't know what she had expected -Edelgard had explicitly told her that she was gone. Five years was a long time to wait, and everyone had thought that Byleth passed. She had been angry, initially. Angry at Edelgard, for telling her the truth. Angry at the rest of the her students, who had loyally stayed and hoped foolishly for news of her reappearance. But more than anything, she was angry at herself, for letting those five years pass by; ignorantly, selfishly.

  
It was her fault that she was gone.

  
Byleth's head lifted as she heard a sharp knock against her door, her eyes widening for a brief moment as she felt her heart beat faster in anticipation. It was difficult to hide her disappointment as she opened the door to a familiar looking girl, who no matter how welcome, had unfortunately not been the one taking permanent residence in her thoughts.

  
"Professor, are you alright?" Ingrid asked, concern across her elegant features, now barely recognizable with her much shorter hair framing her angular face, "I know it's been five years and well...we've all changed while you've stayed the same." She walked into the room almost cautiously as Byleth moved aside to permit her passage through, closing the door tightly behind the two. "It's just we can tell, you know. I mean, on the outside you're still smiling and joking but." Ingrid paused again, reaching a hand up to where her formerly long, golden locks would have been interlaced intricately against her chest, before retracting it with a dismissive lift of her lips and twiddling her fingers instead, "We know you're hurting." She finally simply said, pressing a gentle hand to Byleth's arm.

  
"You and Edelgard had always been quite sharp when it came to small things like this." Byleth remarked, giving the girl a tight smile as she sat against the edge of the bed, "I'm trying, I really am. It's hard right now, but I know all of you waited for me for five years. I won't make you guys wait any longer. I promise."

  
Ingrid returned the former professor's smile, sitting beside her on the bed as she kicked her legs comfortably, "You know, despite having just been one room away from Hilda all this time, she never once invited me inside. It's a little disconcerting being in here now." She said offhandedly, smoothing her calloused fingers across the edge of the sheets. 

  
Byleth sighed in return, "I know what you mean. I knew for a fact she hated me. And I have to _sleep_ here now." She paused as she looked towards the falcon knight imploringly, "And how about you, Ingrid? Why did you stay?"

  
Ingrid covered her mouth with a closed hand, letting out a small laugh as she spoke, "I'm surprised you're even asking. I've always been one of your avid supporters since day one." She said, sharing a coy grin with Byleth. Of all the students who joined Byleth's class before the war against the Church of Seiros had broken out, Ingrid had been the very last. The older woman had assumed it was because her two childhood friends, Felix and Sylvain, had already joined her ranks at that time, and had done their fair part in convincing her to as well -however, Byleth never received a definite answer, mostly due to the fact that she had never bothered to ask. She had just been pleased that Ingrid had decided to join in the first place; the student had been both brilliant in mind as well as powerful on the battlefield, and she was nothing short of determined when she had set out to recruit her in the first place. The young woman Ingrid had always been a loyal addition to her class as well, frequently berating any students who slacked off or spoke too loudly over the professor in class; Byleth had grown to think of her almost as a teacher's assistant, in some ways. She had always thought of her support as somewhat unconditional, a thought that under these circumstances, now seemed foolish. 

  
"It may have taken me a while, but I grew to like you." Ingrid said honestly, "Felix and Sylvain had always spoken so highly of you, and well. I guess you could say they had some part in convincing me. But I'd also like to think that no matter how they could have tried to incentivize me, they wouldn't have been successful had I not already had some inclination to join in the first place." The falcon knight stretched heartily as she let out a yawn, jumping up from the bed quite suddenly, "But about your sleeping situation...all I can say is that Edelgard wanted you close by. I wouldn't say I blame her." Ingrid shot Byleth a knowing grin as she bid her farewell, closing the door gently behind her.

  
Byleth rolled her eyes at the girl's words, standing up once more to approach the wall across from the bed. She settled her fingers across its flat surface, tracing odd shapes through years of weather and wear as she kept her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She thought about what Ingrid had said -about how perceptive her former students had become. Five years had passed, but their memories of her had not. She could not allow herself to dwell upon a lost past any longer; they deserved at least that much from her.

  
Byleth tore her hand from the wall as though it burned, walking back to Hilda's bed and pulling the covers over her head. She prayed for a dream, a nightmare -anything that wasn't the dreamless slumber that had robbed the previous five years of her life.  
  


* * *

  
  
“W-what are you doing?!”

Byleth startled as she heard a soft voice call tentatively from behind her, her hand lifting sharply from the door knob in front of her to rest itself awkwardly against her hip. She tried to look nonchalant as she leaned against the door frame, forcing a relaxed expression onto her face.  
  
“Um, you know.” Byleth trailed off, her eyes darting around as she visually tried to look for an excuse. The blue haired girl in front of her stared expectantly back, her tired eyes boring holes into Byleth's own. It was probably the most extended interaction the two had yet to have at this point, and she found she did not quite enjoy it as much as she initially thought she would. “Alright,” the older woman finally relented, “You caught me. I was delivering something to Edelgard, but it slipped under your door.” Her cheeks reddened immensely as she admitted the truth, hoping the student would not ask what item she had been planning to deliver -it was a silly gift and a rather childish notion, the more she thought about it.  
  
“What is it? I’ll just bring it out for you, so if you could please just wait here...” Marianne mumbled, trailing off as she moved to block the front of her doorway.   
  
Byleth shook her head vigorously, inching out of the way as she placed her hands up in front of her chest almost defensively, “You know what, it’s fine. I’ll just, uh, find another.” She quickly said, laughing sheepishly. She wouldn't bother letting the student know she had chased an owl for about half an hour, in hopes of catching a glistening feather as it preened itself to display her unwavering affections towards the future emperor, “Take care Marianne. Don’t you...be late for classes tomorrow.” She added absentmindedly as an afterthought, feigning an air of sternness as she marched away with her hands crossed tightly behind her back. She let out the breath of air she had been knowingly holding as she was finally out the corridor, her shoulders falling as she relaxed her demeanor completely. Byleth had gotten along quite well with all her students in the short time she had been at the monastery, priding herself in being one of the more favored professors of the monastery. Marianne, however, was one of the few who avoided her. They'd rarely had any interactions together and Byleth often found herself quite awkward in front of the younger girl, delicate and fragile looking to the extent that Byleth had begun to hold her breath whenever she approached, in fear of knocking her over merely with the air from her lungs.  
  
She shook her head as she let out a low whistle from between her teeth, smiling politely at a student who greeted her as she passed by. She supposed it would be too much to ask for to be accepted by everyone -after all, it wasn't fair of her to judge anyone else when she, herself, did not come from the most standard upbringings. If anything, Marianne had every right to avoid her. With that in mind, Byleth sped walked towards the stables. Now that she felt significantly less badly for being uncomfortable around the other student, she felt like paying Shamir a visit.  
  
Marianne let out a relieved sigh of her own as the young professor ventured away, only opening her room door when she was sure there was no longer anyone in the vicinity. She let the door swing tightly shut behind her, locking it as she crept inside, stumbling clumsily across its darkened expanse. The curtains were drawn shut, rolls of bandages strewn half-hazardously across the floor, accompanied by a familiar metallic stench hitting her nose unpleasantly. Marianne fell to the floor on her knees, scrambling to gather everything within hand's reach to dispose of. She had never been particularly good at cleaning, but this was something she could not even ask her closest friend, Hilda for, help with.  
  
Amidst the mess and walls she had built around herself, she found a single, gleaming feather, settled neatly upon her belongings. The sight saddened her beyond comprehension.

More than anything, she hated herself in that very moment.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
"Good morning, El." Byleth greeted the emperor as she walked into dining hall, the once magnificent attachment now mostly empty and half demolished. She waved heartily from where she sat amidst the few students who had managed to wake up nice and early, crumbs of food against her cheeks as she chewed heartily against the hard bread that was now a staple in the breakfast amongst the Black Eagles Strike Force.  
  
"Professor, you gotta wipe your face." Bernadetta chided from beside her, pulling out an embroidered handkerchief and using it to essentially slap the older woman's nose. Byleth winced against the action, stifling a sneeze. Felix cleared his throat from beside the purple haired archer, using his right hand to subtly mimic less extravagant wiping motions across his own face. "Oh!" Bernadetta mumbled, pulling her hand away from Byleth's to turn her attention to Felix instead, vigorously dusting his face off with the same handkerchief.  
  
Byleth smiled good naturedly as she patted the seat beside her for Edelgard, ignoring the loud bantering from beside her. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, accepting an apple from Ingrid who was walking around the large dining table, passing out various fruits that she had collected on her pegasus to the hungry soldiers.  
  
"Quite so," Edelgard said, clearing her throat as she took a seat, "I-I'll admit. It has been a while since I've been able to dine with everyone." She muttered, folding her hands together, "It's...strange, but nice. I could get used to this."  
  
"You and me both." Byleth remarked, handing her a piece of bread, "I warmed this up for you. With my hands." She said, keeping her expression as neutral as possible. She felt a surge of pride swell through her chest as Edelgard finally smiled, letting out a small laugh before accepting the provisions.  
  
"Not as warm as I would have liked it, but you have my thanks." Edelgard shot back, "It's really nice to have you back, Professor."  
  
Byleth looked inquisitively back at the young woman beside her, taking a bite of her apple, "What do you mean? It's been a good few months since I woke up from my five year coma." She said humorously, "Unless you're telling me we've entered another time skip?" It was getting easier by the day to joke of her lost years. Some would claim it as a mere coping mechanism, but it certainly helped her move past the most haunting of her issues -perhaps even the people that were involved in those memories -though Byleth would need some more time to confirm that. She still found herself dearly missing someone, although Edelgard's companionship most definitely helped at times, not to mention the friendships she maintained with her other former students.

However, on the other hand, it was also difficult to ignore the budding relationships that had developed while she had been away and back. Such people like Bernadetta and Felix had grown fairly dependent on one another while Byleth had been asleep, and while she was happy for them and more than willing to support the couple in any way if needed, she felt a slight twinge of sadness from the exclusion and loneliness at times. But that would certainly be something she would never admit to, for as long as she was alive.  
  
Edelgard scoffed, making a point to ignore Hubert, who was now standing insistently close behind her. His eyes bored holes into the back of the crimson lord's head as he opened and closed his mouth, as though waiting for a good opportunity to speak. Edelgard must have sensed this, for she quickly resumed her conversation with Byleth, holding her left arm up instinctively to stop the man from souring her morning with likely more news of the war. Byleth supposed these interruptions were now a common occurrence between the two. " I mean to say that you've returned to your former self. Your smiles and laughter, they're not forced anymore. So thus, it's good to see you back." Edelgard repeated firmly, patting the mint haired woman's hand as she inclined her head backwards at this point to allow Hubert to relay his information.  
  
"Oh." Byleth felt her cheeks flush red as she swallowed hard. "It's good to be back." She whispered quietly, praying for her mind to not stray again from the present. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I don't proof read...between actually playing the game and drawing and working, I'm too tired to ; 3 ;

_“AAAUGH!”_  
  
Byleth stopped in her tracks as she heard a blood curdling shriek from the forest past the monastery -her fingers instinctively reached to grasp the hilt of her sword, her first thoughts flying to Edelgard and the future emperor’s nightmares before she shook her head firmly to disperse of those thoughts. She could easily recognize her student’s voice at this point, and the cry, although feminine, definitively did not belong to Edelgard.  
  
Nevertheless, as a professor of the monastery Byleth took it upon herself to protect all those within the school grounds, be it student or fellow faculty. And from what she could tell, that property included the dense forest surrounding the academy. She took off in a sprint after discerning the direction of the noise, wasting no more additional time as she threw herself against the cold autumnal wind, hacking away at the loose branches that occasionally hindered her.  
  
When Byleth finally arrived at her supposed destination, a small clearing in the center of the forest, she stopped still, panting heavily as she struggled to keep her breath. She wiped the sweat that had begun to gather at her brow, looking around in confusion as all sound seemed to disappear from the air. She walked towards a fell tree nearby, a small crimson trail adorning the stump not unlike a macabre dressing of red lace. The trail led further into the woods before seeming to stop altogether.  
  
The dark haired woman paced around the surroundings again, concerned by the amount of blood that was left behind -the scream she heard sounded human enough, and held a tone of anguish that she had been familiarized with during her days as a mercenary on the battlefield. If it had been a human that was harmed, Byleth had little doubt they would be able to make it back to the main grounds before perishing from blood loss. With that thought, Byleth resolutely made up her mind to not leave unless she was certain there wasn’t a wounded person she was leaving behind.  
  
Not knowing what else to do, Byleth sat herself in the middle of the clearing, her hands gripping her sword as she gazed sharply around her surroundings. After about half an hour, she finally felt her senses dulling as she started to drift off to sleep. The sound had returned to the earth and she had been unharmed thus far; whatever had been here was clearly gone at this point. Byleth slowly stood up, stifling a yawn as she re-sheathed her sword. She would perhaps ask Jeralt about it tomorrow.  
  
  
  
  
  
“See how the tip of your blade is wavering downwards? You have to hold your arm out like this, and focus your strength on the grip and positioning of your wrist.” Byleth said, bringing her arm beneath Marianne’s, as she showed the noble the proper maneuvering tactics for a Levin sword. “As a proficient magic user, you’ll be wielding these a lot -take Dorothea, for example. Try to do what she’s doing, position your legs like hers.”  
  
The younger girl moved awkwardly as she attempted to mimic the brunette’s graceful poise, her left shoulder hunching awkwardly she lifted the full weight of the weapon in her right hand. “Like...this?” She asked quietly, the strain in her voice evident as the sword wobbled uneasily.  
  
“Better! But not quite.” Byleth said encouragingly, “Don’t try to put all the pressure in your hand and fingers, you’ll only cause injury to yourself.” She said gently, “Here, let me help you -,” She placed her hand on Marianne’s side, quickly retracting it as the younger girl let let out a whimper of pain and dropped the sword in surprise.  
  
Byleth jumped back, “Careful!” She chided her, the blade landing a mere inches from the tips of her boots. She quickly reassured her surrounding students that nothing was out of order before she turned her attention back to Marianne, ducking to bring her head close to the blue haired girl. “Are you alright?” She asked in a low voice. The somber girl was looking paler than usual, a hand gripped tightly to her side as she nodded tersely. “Come with me.” Byleth said sternly, “I’m taking you to Manuela.”  
  
“No!” Marianne cried. She averted her gaze as a few nearby students looked her way once more, “...I’m okay.” She whispered, “Just tired.”  
  
“It wasn’t a question.” Byleth said, a frown tightly against her features. She placed a hand on the small of Marianne’s back, leading her gently away from the courtyard. “Shamir, can you take over the rest of the lessons? I’ll be back before next bell.” She called over her shoulder, looking pleadingly at the short haired woman.  
  
“Sure, I’ve got you covered.” The older professor said easily, walking over to the group of students to continue where Byleth had left off. She flicked Caspar in the head as he carelessly raised his arms in the air, the axe he was holding extending beyond his fingertips and swinging through the air, sending Bernadetta into a terrified frenzy.  
  
Byleth sighed, shooting an apologetic smile at Shamir as she ushered Marianne away. The archer certainly had her work cut out for her already, “So are you going to tell me what happened?” Byleth asked nonchalantly, smiling pleasantly to the occasional student or soldier who greeted her along the way to Manuela’s infirmary. The younger girl remained silent, continuing to press her hand against her side as she allowed herself to be led along.  
  
Byleth knew Marianne didn’t like to talk much of the time, so she refrained from pushing her for a reply -she decided a humorous or quick witted response would likely not be the best anecdote in this case either. She looked imploringly at Marianne as the girl seemed to slow her steps, her left shoulder pressing against Byleth’s side in a poor attempt to somewhat support herself.  
  
“Marianne, you’re clearly not okay. How badly are you hurt?” Byleth asked, placing her hand around the the other girl’s side to help ease her way up the stairs. She frowned as her fingers were met with a warm substance. “Are you bleeding?!” She asked in an angry whisper, trying not to catch the attention of others for her student’s sake. “How did this happen?” She demanded, her footsteps hastening as she all but swept Marianne up in her own arms so that the two may sprint to their destination faster.  
  
“I-it’s nothing.” Marianne muttered, her eyes closing shut wearily, “I don’t want to talk about it.”  
  
Byleth let out a frustrated sigh, pressing a hand to her temples. She clearly had not believed this conversation would go so fluently, but irritation remained nonetheless present as she regarded the stubborn girl, “Look, I know I’m not your favorite person on campus, but you’re gonna have to tell either me or Manuela. The upside of telling me, is that if it’s something you want to keep hidden that badly, I’ll be able to come up with a better excuse than you would for Manuela.”   
  
Marianne appeared to think for a moment, before a small sigh escaped from her lips. “Alright,” she relented, “I...was in the woods last night.” She admitted, eyes shifting uncertainly to the side as she searched for a way to elaborate.  
  
“So the scream I heard was you?” Byleth asked, pulling the girl gently, but firmly up the last flight of stairs.  
  
Marianne nodded, “There was an animal...a large one. I was trying to help it, but...it attacked me before...running off.”  
  
“An animal, attacking you?” Byleth repeated, unsure if she completely believed the story. Whatever it was, Marianne was clearly covering for someone -but the story was at least partially true, her demeanor convinced her of that much. “It wasn’t one of those beasts, was it?” She implored. "You know better than that to stray from school grounds during the night. There's a curfew for a reason."  
  
Marianne’s eyes widened as she leaned away hastily, wincing again from the sudden movement, “N-no, of course it wasn't a beast! What would bring you to think of that?!” She stuttered.  
  
The older woman narrowed her eyes as they approached the door to the infirmary, “Marianne, if it was a beast you need to tell us. It could pose as a threat to the other students and people who live here.” She explained, not unkindly as she knocked twice to announce their presence and pushed the door open. She quickly pinched her nose as she was met with a strong stench of alcohol, wincing as she saw the passed out professor on one of the beds, half dressed.  
  
  
Byleth motioned for Marianne to stay at the doorway, quickly grabbing a few bandages and vaguely familiar ointments before retreating. She snatched a piece of paper and quill pen from Manuela’s desk on her way out, scrawling a messy “do not disturb" on its surface. "You owe me one," She mumbled as she placed the note between the doorway, shutting the door tightly to keep the paper wedged in at a good shoulder level.  
  
“Well, I’m not the best healer but I know some magic.” Byleth admitted as she turned back to Marianne, “I can fix you up until Manuela is...awake. We can go back to your dorm so you can rest there, unless you’d prefer to stay in mines instead?” She added the last part as more of a joke, which only added to her surprise as the younger student responded quite indignantly.  
  
“N-no, your quarters are fine.” Marianne said quickly, a slight panicked expression in her features -although that might as well have been the norm for her.  
  
Byleth lifted a brow questioningly. She supposed Marianne didn’t want anyone in her room for whatever reason, as she recalled the conversation they had a month previously, but it still made her a little bit suspicious. “I don’t suppose you’re hiding a beast in there, are you? I mean, I heard you like animals, but this is kind of crossing a line...” she said humorously, a lopsided smile on her face.  
  
The look of horror that washed across Marianne’s face made Byleth immediately regret her words. Perhaps it as too soon to joke about something like that. After all, Marianne must have been traumatized if she had been indeed harmed by a beast, a thought that Byleth was beginning to find likelier by the minute. The girl remained mute, her long lashes fluttering as she attempted to articulate a response back.  
  
“Hey, I was just kidding.” Byleth quickly said, patting her back reassuringly, “Now let’s get you fixed up, okay? No more beast talk.”  
  
While Marianne was acting strangely, if Byleth was honest, it wasn't the first time one of the students took Byleth’s sense of humor the wrong way -Edelgard constantly chided her for not being serious enough at times, and had even indirectly threatened to smite her at some point in time when she became emperor. Byleth had merely smiled wryly and told her she looked forward to it, which had set Edelgard into another huffed frenzy.  
  
The two walked in silence for the remainder of the way to Byleth’s room, the older girl glaring at a smug faced Sothis as she helped Marianne onto her bed. “My magic isn’t the greatest,” Byleth warned her again, helping the girl out of her uniform. She winced as she saw how deep the wound was -Marianne had definitely played it off as no big deal, but she was frankly shocked at how the girl managed to conceal her pain for so long. The fact that she was one of the star pupils in faith magic probably had something to do with it; but as all faith users, it was difficult to use the healing magic on yourself, especially at this point in their studies. Another few years in that route, and it would be a possibility, maybe.  
  
“You’re just gonna let her bleed out on your bed?!” Sothis exclaimed, “WE sleep there, you know. At least put a spare bedsheet beneath her.” She continued indignantly, only growing more agitated as she was ignored. Byleth had definitely gotten better at _that _skill as of late. Nevertheless, Marianne studiously sat onto her own clothes, taking care to spread the black uniform over to where a steady crimson splattering was now dripping down her exposed side.   
  
Byleth quickly soaked a few bandages in antioxidants, pressing gently against the younger girl’s skin, “Not to make you nervous, but sorry if it hurts a bit...or a lot. I’m only pretty much only used to tending to my father’s wounds, so I tend to be more rough.” Byleth said sheepishly, swapping the soiled bandages out with a new pair. “Alright. Here goes nothing.” She muttered as she placed her hand gently over the wound, focusing on concentrating her energy into healing -it was usually a hit or miss when she did it, but Manuela had always told her to think about something invigorating, and focus the supplementary energy that materialized from within to channel unto another vessel.  
  
“Ah-ha!” Byleth exclaimed proudly, clapping her hands together and startling the other girl on the bed, “I did it! Well, more or less...it’s still going to be another few days to _completely_ heal up but it looks like I’ve stopped the bleeding at least.” She said, surveying her work carefully. Maybe it was because she had yet to really practice it on people, but the result was definitely much better than expected -Manuela had only allowed her to test on flowers, naturally. But who would've thought that wilted plants would be harder to fix than the real deal?  
  
“Thank you, professor.” Marianne said shyly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she refastened her outerwear beneath Byleth’s startling gaze. “Please...do not mention this to anyone. Especially those of the Golden Deer house.” She said, her eyes filled with concern as she cast them to the floorboards.  
  
“You have my word.” Byleth said seriously, making a point not to joke this time, “I’m gonna get back to class now -just rest up here, okay? I’ll just tell everyone that you overworked yourself, so don’t worry.”  
  
  


* * *

  
Byleth felt her knees shake as she stepped towards the battlefield, side by side with the emperor as she and the army behind them surveyed their surroundings carefully, mentally counting the amount of soldiers who had made their presence known. Byleth eyed the wyvern riders around the outside borders of the fortress warily, sharing a knowing look with Shamir, who immediately gathered Ashe and Bernadetta to her side, barking out orders as a helpless looking Caspar jumped back and forth between them in attempts to offer his services.  
  
“You know I’m beside you no matter what.” Byleth reaffirmed Edelgard, squeezing her hand tightly before letting it fall back to her side. “I would choose to walk with you every chance, given the opportunity.” It would be a lie to say that this wouldn't be one of the most difficult battles of her life -she didn't want to fight these people. She had initially hoped, prayed that they would never meet as enemies; but alas, they did. It broke her heart to break the promise of one she had cared so much about, but she had to. Edelgard was all she had left, and she would brandish her sword against the Goddess herself if that was what the emperor wished.  
  
The light haired woman returned her smile, her hardened expression softening for the briefest moment, before the fierce look returned to her features. “If there ever existed a Goddess, the only gratitude I will present her way is for your existence beside me.” She said quietly, her gaze already focused to the impending battle up ahead. “Be watchful for Claude -the past five years have only made him that much more tactful, and Hilda’s strength is unrivaled.”  
  
“Except by yours.” Byleth said lightheartedly.  
  
“Except by mines.” 


End file.
